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So why am I so uptight about excellence? You may not realize it because I work extremely hard to temper my expectations of others, but I am passionate about excellence especially in the body of Christ. Lots of people over the years have simply said “Tom’s just a perfectionist, OCD, or just plain anal about … [Read more…]

I’ve been pondering the term “first world problems” a lot lately, mostly because so many people banter about it on Facebook and Twitter. When they do, they are usually trying to make some point about how your problems aren’t really very serious compared to those who are starving and suffering all over the world. When … [Read more…]

I just read an excellent article about the need for the church to make disciples above all else. I could not agree more, so I have a question, “are you a disciple?” Or are you merely a follower? First, what is a disciple? The dictionary defines disciple as: a person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another.

I couldn’t argue with this logic. Yes, though I love the people I lead and serve, I do sometimes feel this way. Read it and take it in love…as the author intended. http://www.benreed.net/index.php/2013/01/16/a-note-from-your-pastor/?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=

So what is this “Refuge” church all about anyway? I’ve tried over my time in the ministry to phrase it a thousand different ways, yet the mission remains as simple as ever…Love God and Love People. But what do those simple words really mean?

Well into the fray we go. I just read an excellent free e-book by Mark Driscoll about the legalization of pot for recreational use in his home state of Washington. I think it’s an excellent treatment on the subject and worthy of the 10 minutes it’ll take you to read it. Download the free pdf … [Read more…]

People familiar with Refuge Community Church know that we are passionate about fulfilling the gospel by caring for people as we’re told to do in James. So we focus a WHOLE LOT on meeting the practical needs of the homeless and poor in our community. But lest we forget, there is even more to the gospel. If … [Read more…]

I follow some of my favorite pastor-role-models on Twitter and while reading something an author I really admire wrote, I decided to go and google him to see if I could find a message he had written on a topic I was interested in. So I typed in his name and up popped a page … [Read more…]